Where are all of the good cooking shows?

Just a little rant here. What the heck is going on with the so-called Food TV shows? There’s really no cooking or teaching going on!

I was without expanded cable for over a year and really missed some of my cooking shows. I recently upgraded my cable again and am sorely disappointed in the offerings from the Food Network and their second channel The Cooking Channel. I haven’t seen any real cooking on either channel. Oh wait, I think it’s on during the day WHILE I am working and early mornings on the weekends when I have other things going on and can’t veg in front of the TV. By the time I get home it’s evening programming and guess what’s on….DDD, Chopped, etc.

Is anyone else noticing this? Really, do the majority of viewers really like watching Chopped, Restaurant Impossible, and DDD over and over and over and over again? Don’t get me wrong I actually like each of these shows individually. What I do not like is having to watch a Chopped marathon, or the same episodes of DDD over and over again.

I noticed that Alton Brown is going to host a new “challenge” show. Once again, I enjoy the occasional cupcake or cake decorating challenge. I don’t even mind The Next Iron Chef or Food Network Star challenges. BUT I am really getting sick of only seeing this type of programming.

I want to be in the chef’s kitchen watching them and learning from them. I want to learn about new and different ingredients and how to prepare them. I also don’t need over the top entertainment. I’m quite happy with cool, calm and sane cooking. This morning I turned on the TV at 8 or so and someone was cooking, the next two programs were someone actually cooking. But then at 9 am Chopped started and now the rest of the day is Chopped, Restaurant Impossible, Mystery Diner, Restaurant Stakeout (ummm, aren’t these two pretty much the same basic premise?), DDD (two hours worth), Iron Chef America, ad nauseam. Not to mention that these shows are repeated later in the evening. So if you watched them in the morning, they are back on at night.

Why do we have these “Next Star” challenges if they aren’t going to cook? I loved watching Guy but I don’t want to get up at 7:30 Sunday morning to watch him. I like sleeping in on the weekends, sheez!

Now I have to wonder why I bothered upgrading my cable again. 500 channels and nothing is on, right?!